War in the Pacific

[Leonidas]

A website for Gary Grigsby's War in the Pacific is now up:

It covers the entire Pacific War, and is turn-based. If you like wargames and his style of design, then this will be your kind of game.

http://www.warinthepacific.net/main.asp

http://www.warinthepacific.net/screenshots/Screenshot01.jpg

http://www.warinthepacific.net/screenshots/screenshot19.jpg

[Dauphin]

The second screen just makes me think Battleship. :hmmm:

The website makes me think of Historyline. :b:

[Panag]

hi ,

an excellent game in the pacific :cool: , maybe some one could use it as a model for a C3C scenario , .... :cool:

have a nice day :)

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Dauphin
The second screen just makes me think Battleship. :hmmm:

The website makes me think of Historyline. :b:

This will be a highly detailed game about the entire Pacfic War :)

Anyone familiar with Grigsby's earlier work will know the detail he puts into his games.

Take a look at the map screenshots and the FAQ's on the game.

Cheers!

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by panag
hi ,

an excellent game in the pacific :cool: , maybe some one could use it as a model for a C3C scenario , .... :cool:

have a nice day :)

It's going to be a monster game :)

I was kinda thinking the same thing. It might serve as an inspiration for people to do a Pacific War scenario in Civ2 and 3.

Cheers!

[Urban Ranger]

It'd be very hard. You could give Japan loads of starting units, but even with a monachy the support would be hell. There's also a problem with the Chines theatre, because you don't get units from villages in <em>Civ</em>.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
It'd be very hard. You could give Japan loads of starting units, but even with a monachy the support would be hell. There's also a problem with the Chines theatre, because you don't get units from villages in <em>Civ</em>.

Hi :)

For Civ2 my conception of a Pacific War scenario would be like this:

1) Start with a Pacific Map

2) Perhaps even use a previous Pacific scenario as a base

3) Use all the latest new unit gifs available

4) Make the scenario playable as only one civ (say as USA)

5) Then make all events geared for the Japanese, and setup the Japanese starting from January, 1942 (AFTER Pearl Harbour). Everything would be geared to challenge the American player.

6) Each island would have a city and name. Thus, when the USA takes, say Guadalcanal, then events would allow for the appearance of Japanese ships and aircraft, etc, to attack the American forces on the island.

7) Events could also be created so that when a Japanese ship is destroyed, then a similar one is created back at Japan or at any location the scenario designer wishes. This way, the scenario creator wouldn't have to rely on AI building units.

I have modified "Hellas" to do this very thing, and playing as Sparta I have been getting a good challenge from The Persian Host attacking me.

8) The scenario designer could also have Japanese ground, air, and sea units created on random turns throughout the scenario. This way, the player would always be challenged. And these newly created Japanese units would not need a home city, and so would not impair Japanese production.

9) As for China: I think the scenario creator could position Japan strategically with the right position and units to really make it tough for the human player.

10) There are also many more tricks that scenario creators could use to make a very challenging Pacific War scenario playable from the USA side (and then doing a scenario playable only as the Japanese).

Cheers!

[lord of the mark]

there is a civ 2 scen by one of the better designer (sorry i have a mental blcok on the name- wait was it Harlen Thompson?) Its very hard to win as Japan (at least for a Civ2 wimp like me) he gives Japan superbattleships via events, gives both Chinese factions partisans by events (Cities not villages) and gives the americans bombers via events (since apparently the AI wont handle them right otherwise) least realistic aspect is when i start building factories and power plants on Yap and Rabaul. I managed to push into India, but was losing my Pacific outposts to those nasty american bombers.

A wargame is a much better solution. Never played a Grigsby game -wasnt there some controversy about a WW2 strat bombing game he did?

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
there is a civ 2 scen by one of the better designer (sorry i have a mental blcok on the name- wait was it Harlen Thompson?) Its very hard to win as Japan (at least for a Civ2 wimp like me) he gives Japan superbattleships via events, gives both Chinese factions partisans by events (Cities not villages) and gives the americans bombers via events (since apparently the AI wont handle them right otherwise) least realistic aspect is when i start building factories and power plants on Yap and Rabaul. I managed to push into India, but was losing my Pacific outposts to those nasty american bombers.

A wargame is a much better solution. Never played a Grigsby game -wasnt there some controversy about a WW2 strat bombing game he did?

I agree that a wargame is a far better solution.

However, one of the apsects I like about Civ2 is that it is VERY moddable in EVERY aspect, so a scenario designer can make it as tough as he wants :D

I think Harlarn's scenario probably would be a good one to start with. I still think a scenario should be geared to be playable only as one civ to give the greatest challenge.

Gary Grigsby: He's made a lot of wargames such as Battle of Britain, Bombing the Reich, etc, and has made Uncommon Valor and is now almost finished War in the Pacific.

His games have a lot of detail, and if you like to micromanage, then you will be in 7th heaven. No one else is making these types of games.

Bombing the Reich had so much detail, that some people complained about it. But I have played the game, it is quite realistic, and I can say that a person will never see such a grand strategic bombing game as this one again :)

[ravagon]

:b: to a truly excellent designer.

Carrier Strike and Pacific War were two of his classic designs that really got me into computer wargames.
If this new one is anything akin to his previous work then it'll be another 'must have'.

I think underdogs has many of his older games available (Ming can edit this if he really feels the need) for download.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Leonidas
Gary Grigsby: He's made a lot of wargames such as TOAW, Battle of Britain, Bombing the Reich, etc, and has made Uncommon Valor and is now almost finished War in the Pacific.

Isn't it finished? You can download it for free from the Matrix Games site...

[Case]

It will be interesting to see how the land combat model in this game works.

Given the incredibly small areas of land which were actually faught over, I can't see how it can work at the 60 Nautical Mile/hex scale which is being used. The average land campaign in the pacific theatre involved several divisions sluging it out in an area about a tenth of the hexs which are being used.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Leonidas

Gary Grigsby: He's made a lot of wargames such as TOAW.....


If you are referring to The Operational Art of War, that was a Norm Kroger game.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Isn't it finished? You can download it for free from the Matrix Games site...

You're probably thinking of Pacific War - the 1992 version can be downloaded free.

The latest version WiTP will be out sometime in late June/early July :)

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Case
It will be interesting to see how the land combat model in this game works.

Given the incredibly small areas of land which were actually faught over, I can't see how it can work at the 60 Nautical Mile/hex scale which is being used. The average land campaign in the pacific theatre involved several divisions sluging it out in an area about a tenth of the hexs which are being used.

I think they've made some adjustments for land battles.

I've played UV (similar game) and the land situation works fine :)

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Stuie


If you are referring to The Operational Art of War, that was a Norm Kroger game.

Oops :D

You are so right.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Leonidas
You're probably thinking of Pacific War - the 1992 version can be downloaded free.

The latest version WiTP will be out sometime in late June/early July :)

They are the same game as far as I can tell. If you click on the official website link of <em>Pacific War</em>, it goes to the one above.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Leonidas



I think Harlarn's scenario probably would be a good one to start with. I still think a scenario should be geared to be playable only as one civ to give the greatest challenge.



IIRC Harlens scenario is essentially designed for play as Japan.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


They are the same game as far as I can tell. If you click on the official website link of <em>Pacific War</em>, it goes to the one above.

I see.

Matrix may be calling WiTP Pac War for short. But if you browse the website you should see the free version.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


IIRC Harlens scenario is essentially designed for play as Japan.

I didn't know.

Perhaps it could be modified or another used instead.

Playing defensively as the Japanese should be easier for the AI ;)

And if the scenario started say around June,1942, then the scenario designer could setup the Japanese forces as they would appear on that date.

[Leonidas]

Here's the full map of War in the Pacific (zoomed out). It will be a monster wargame:

http://www.warinthepacific.net/screenshots/screenshot17.jpg

[Urban Ranger]

I used to like monster games :scared:

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I used to like monster games :scared:

heheh

Well, with this game you can place yourself in the boots of Nimitz and/or MacArthur, or, as the Japanese supreme commanders.

Every ship, aircraft and pilot from the Pacific War has been modelled in this game :eek: :ban:

To say that a player will be "replaying" the Pacific War is an understatement.

Thankfully, there will be 15 campaigns that come with the game, with many of them coverig only portions of the war.

And there will be a handy editor for some "what if" scenarios as well.

Cheers!

[Case]

Despite my reservations about the land combat engine, I think that I'll add this to my wish list (ie, wargames I'd buy if they were ever released in Australia).

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Case
Despite my reservations about the land combat engine, I think that I'll add this to my wish list (ie, wargames I'd buy if they were ever released in Australia).

I've got it earmarked for purchase as well.

One thing I have learned is that Matrix supports their games :)

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Leonidas


I didn't know.

Perhaps it could be modified or another used instead.

Playing defensively as the Japanese should be easier for the AI ;)

And if the scenario started say around June,1942, then the scenario designer could setup the Japanese forces as they would appear on that date.

Harlens scenario starts in Dec '41. He handles Pearl very well actually.

To get the Anglo-American AI to attack properly, he gives them lots of event based units (in addition to their massive production edge). Still the real core of the scen is the Japanese rush for dominance from Dec '41 to June '42, where the allies are on the defensive. And this period lasts longer in the scen than historically, naturally. At some point the allies are getting so many event driven uber units that Japan cant expand much further (outside China). At that point youve either gotten enough victory points to win or not. Playing out further to wait for the hapless AI to slowly grind you down with its massive numbers of units is rather unsatisfying, and so I didnt finish, once it reached that point.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Harlens scenario starts in Dec '41. He handles Pearl very well actually.

To get the Anglo-American AI to attack properly, he gives them lots of event based units (in addition to their massive production edge). Still the real core of the scen is the Japanese rush for dominance from Dec '41 to June '42, where the allies are on the defensive. And this period lasts longer in the scen than historically, naturally. At some point the allies are getting so many event driven uber units that Japan cant expand much further (outside China). At that point youve either gotten enough victory points to win or not. Playing out further to wait for the hapless AI to slowly grind you down with its massive numbers of units is rather unsatisfying, and so I didnt finish, once it reached that point.

I know what you mean.

The AI is not that good on offense, except perhaps in Red Front.

This is why I think it might be better if the AI played the Japanese on defense: the scenario designer could setup Japanese forces as they might appear in June, 1942 (already in control and entrenched on many of the islands); give the AI lots of events; and have the player only play the USA, in an attempt to defeat the Japanese.